title: Subcutaneous self-injection and oral self-administration of metallic mercury--case report.
abstract: This paper presents a case of 16-year-old schoolboy who injected subcutaneously about 6 ml of metallic mercury to both forearms and administered orally about 5 ml of it. The patient was admitted to hospital two weeks after this incident without any clinical symptoms. Physical examination and all laboratory tests, including chest x-ray were unremarkable except for granulomata at the injection sites. X-ray examination showed numerous, dispersed globules of mercury in subcutaneous tissue of both forearms and in the digestive tract, mainly in the appendix. Granulomatous tissue with a part of mercury from both forearms as well as appendix were surgically removed. During a six-month period no toxic effects of mercury have been observed, in spite of the fact, that blood mercury level was 132 micrograms/L and urinary mercury level was 500 micrograms/L.
authors.affiliation: Ist Department of Internal Diseases and Acute Poisonings, Medical Academy in Gdańsk.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chodorowski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sein Anand
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nowicki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Galant
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D005542:Forearm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D008630:Mercury Poisoning; D008889:Military Personnel; D009326:Naval Medicine; D011044:Poland; D011859:Radiography; D012651:Self Medication; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury